Culture

On this side of the mountains, we don’t think too much about water. Even with a dry winter and Governor Jay Inslee declaring this a drought year for the state, Seattle’s reservoirs are mostly full. Turn the tap and get all the water you want.

Summer is well and truly here, which means your summertime cocktail imbibing should begin in earnest (if it hasn’t already). There’s something about drinking in summer that I love – the whole school’s out vibe that takes us back to being young again, perhaps. Luckily, we have a number of swell bars that are prepared for the sunnier days, when you might want to have one under the sunshine. The below are all great spots to sip a good cocktail while you enjoy summer.

Construction Cabinet: Mayor Ed Murray signed an executive order Tuesday morning to create a new city cabinet. Pending City Council approval, the new Office of Planning and Community Development would oversee the city's current growth and population boom, says The Seattle Times. The cabinet would bring together planners from various city departments to address issues brought about by rapid growth. Read the full story here.

Given the number of free outdoor music options in and around the city this month, it would be wise to keep a “go bag” at the ready—stocked with a picnic blanket, sunglasses, nonperishable snacks and a thermos full of refreshment—so you can run off to soak up sun and songs at the drop of a floppy-brimmed hat.

New Police Hire: The Seattle Police Department has hired community leader Habtamu Abdi as a civilain liaison between the department and the city's East African community. Abdi was chosen out of close to 300 applicants to reconnect the department with the East African population. "I want him to foster relationships and trust within our very large East African community," said Deputy Chief Carmen Best.

This week, the mountains are calling. We're celebrating the northwest beauty that surrounds us, from the jagged peaks to the lush forests. We're inspired by the stunning natural features that abound in this region from the rugged coastline all the way north into beautiful British Columbia.
1. Andrew Anderson: @aanderssen

A founding editor of The Believer magazine, San Francisco-based writer Vendela Vida is also known for writing entrancing novels, such as The Lovers and Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name. Her latest, The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty, centers on a young divorcee who travels alone to Morocco, where immediately upon arrival her bag is stolen—along with all her identification.

The U.S. Open golf tournament tees off on Wednesday, and there’s plenty of excitement brewing all across the Puget Sound region. From Seattle to Olympia, there will be tons of events (think pub crawls, collector’s cars, bikes and boozy kayak trips) to keep you busy while you’re not watching your favorite golfers sink putts on the Chambers Bay green.
South Sound Craft Crawl

Must DrinkFill Up a Glass at the Washington Brewers Festival (6/19 to 6/21, times vary) Spend Father's Day weekend tasting 350 beers from 100 Washington state brewers when Marymoor Park hosts the 10th annual Washington Brewers Festival.

Can you remember the last time you stepped foot in a video store? If you’re a Maple Leaf resident, it was probably sometime last week.
As mom-and-pop movie rental shops and chains like Blockbuster have shuttered due to the popularity and convenience of on-demand Internet movie streaming services, the north Seattle neighborhood’s Reckless Video has remained in business since opening in 1991. And it’s one of the few surviving movie rental stores left in Seattle.

In our bi-monthly Seattlemag.com column, Knute Berger--who writes regularly for Seattle Magazine and Crosscut.com and is a frequent pundit on KUOW--takes an in-depth look at some of the highly topical and sometimes polarizing issues in our city.

Let’s be honest, having a good summer in Seattle doesn’t take a lot of ingenuity. It’s sunny and warm: Get outside! Marveling at the blue skies and the novelty of not wearing a jacket offers sufficient stimulation for most of us locals. But for those who seek to push the fun a bit further, we offer a collection of lesser known city spots that will help take your summer into the stratosphere.

Sunblock, sunglasses and a great book—such cool things for a blistering hot summer day. Writer's Digest has said that it's hard to imagine a better city for writers than Seattle. And these six local authors prove it by infusing a little romance, terror and doom, food for thought, some drama and death and a little hope and reassurance into these summer-ready page-turners.